Are rebuilding engines a thing of the past?

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: Kestas
A long time ago AAA did a study and found that one third of rebuilt engines needed to be re-rebuilt because of a serious fault during rebuilding.

Sounds a lot like what the RX-8 community is dealing with. Rebuilt engines are known for quality issues.


The Mazda in-house rebuilt rotaries for RX-7's were complete garbage as well.

 

[DoubleWasp]

The price of crate engines is such that it rarely makes sense anymore.

The better options in crate engines is such that it rarely makes sense anymore.

This is especially true is we are talking about American V8 engines.

The increase of factory quality is such that by the time most vehicles need a rebuilt engine, they are not worth investing in, and a "We Buy Junk Cars" hauler is coming to get it.

The disposable ideology of the manufacturers already has people dumping perfectly good cars for a new car. What are the chances they are going to put up with a dead one?

I don't even offer rebuilds. The only time an engine is getting "rebuilt" is if a customer wants better parts inside their engine for performance. Otherwise, it's getting a crate engine.

 

[440Magnum]

I think it depends entirely on your objective. If the car is transportation, minimizing down-time points to a crate engine of some sort. Easy out, easy in, on your way.

If its a vintage car or a hobby car, then the palette is wide open- everything from a crate motor, to a drivetrain swap, to a rebuild. I think popular perception is a little bit poisoned by the current batch of automotive TV shows, where they're always picking crate motors or doing drivetrain swaps because a) they have a sponsorship, or b) they have a time crunch. And mind you, crate motors even for vintage applications have come light years from where they were even in the early 2000s. Guys like Blueprint Engines are turning out what is arguably a better product than the old factory crate motors (Goodwrench, Ford Performance, Mopar Performance) and at lower prices than the first generation of high-quality crate engine builders like Hughes, Indy, DLI and so on. Those guys are still the kings of quality, but there's now a middle ground.

But rebuilding isn't dead. A lot of guys really love to pick and choose their own components, and like the tedium of assembly (me included, although one motor every 10 years is about enough for me!). And although "numbers matching" doesn't seem nearly as important these days as it was 10-15 years ago, there are still guys that want to keep that VIN-stamped block that matches the chassis VIN, but have it run top-notch. Its just a smaller market share than it used to be.

 

[Robenstein]

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp


The better options in crate engines is such that it rarely makes sense anymore.

This is especially true is we are talking about American V8 engines.




Yes and no. If you are talking Small/Big Block Chevys, Windsor small block fords, and LS motors, as well as any other common V8, then yes it makes sense to buy a crate engine. If it's an oddball engine, then it doesn't.

 

[CBR.worm]

I have rebuilt engines in the past and would not like to do it at my current age. However, one of my vehicles has a Japanese 4 cam V8 that is very rare due to limited production, only engines built during a couple years 'fit', and crate engines are not available as far as I know. At this point, nothing has worn out on this vehicle aside from the shocks, a bushing and the engine cooling fan (cracks). If it grenaded tomorrow (not totally unlikely) I would be facing this quandry. I have looked on eBay and salvage yards, but prices are typically in excess of $3,500 for a 100K+ mile engine of unknown history.

I would probably try to find someone reputable in South Florida to rebuild it. For a similar amount of money I would prefer to have new hard parts and a reputable builder.

 

[nthach]

There's still a machine shop by my parent's house and they get a decent chunk of business - even though the MO of shops here is to get a "used low mileage" JDM or junkyard engine and drop it in. One of the more well-known import shops here has their own machine shop - but they do head work, rotors and flywheels only.

And the automakers design newer engines to be once and done ordeals.